Social Norms for Illegal Hunting and Patrolling to Prevent It: Formative Data for Intervention Design and Communication Campaigns

Community-driven initiatives aimed at curbing wild animal poaching can effectively mitigate species decline, tailor programs to community needs, and align with community members’ preferences. This paper reports on formative data framed within the financial incentives in normative systems (FINS) model. Through in-depth interviews with ethnically Tibetan pastoralists, we find evidence for anti-poaching descriptive and injunctive norms, along with norms endorsing interventions to stop hunting. Our findings indicate that communication regarding wildlife protection is less prevalent within family or friendship groups but more commonly conveyed by governmental and spiritual leaders. The findings suggest anti-poaching efforts could include local community members as well as community leaders and consider existing culturally and spiritually driven attitudes and social norms which are anti-hunting and pro-animal protection.